Seabird Colony Register (SCR)

JNCC manages the Seabird Colony Register (SCR), a database hosting whole-colony counts of breeding seabirds made at various times and intervals between 1969 and 1998 at hundreds of seabird colonies. Data are held for all 25 species of seabird breeding throughout Britain and Ireland. The SCR also contains data from the first two complete seabird censuses of Britain and Ireland, Operation Seafarer (1969/70) and the Seabird Colony Register Census (1985-87). The SCR data enable regional and national trends in the size and distribution of seabird populations to be identified and evaluated.

The SCR hosts counts of seabird populations made between 1969 and 1998; it has been superseded by the Seabird 2000 database. The recommended counting and sampling methods for most seabird species are described in Walsh et al. 1995: Seabird Monitoring Handbook for Britain and Ireland.

Although comprehensive counts undertaken at regular intervals over a long time-span comprise the majority of SCR records, the database also contains 'one-off' counts, often from colonies that are visited infrequently due to their remoteness or relatively small size.

Many individual observers and organisations contributed to the SCR. The principal contributors include the Shetland Oil Terminal Environmental Advisory Group, the Seabird Group, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England (formally English Nature), the National Trust, the National Trust for Scotland, and the Wildlife Trusts.

The SCR is a valuable tool for analysing past changes in breeding seabird numbers in Britain and Ireland. Work is currently underway on how best to store seabird colony counts from 1999 onwards (excluding Seabird 2000 data, which has its own database).

Many publications and reports have derived from SCR data. Upon submission of a data request form, information from the SCR can be supplied to private individuals or organisations. In most cases a small fee is charged to cover data retrieval costs. Data can be supplied in spreadsheet (Excel) form electronically or as hard copy.

Completed data request forms should be sent to:

Seabird Colony Register
JNCC,
Dunnet House
7 Thistle Place,
Aberdeen
AB10 1UZ

or E-mailed to

Bibliography

Walsh P M, Halley D J, Harris M P , del Nevo A, Sim I M W & Tasker M L 1995.: Seabird Monitoring Handbook for Britain and Ireland. JNCC / RSPB / ITE / Seabird Group, Peterborough.